Batch box and grappling means therefor



April 15, 1930. E. P. FORRESTEL 1,754,620

BATCH BOX AND GRAPPLING MEANS THEREFOR Filed April 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l r e v 4; l5 47/4/5 0 o /.9 I v A9 I 23 '30 50 x 6 as 7 a; 74

EUGENER Fomssra April 15, 1930. E. P. FORRESTEL 1,754,620

BATCH BOX AND GRAPPLING MEANS THEREFOR Filed April 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 l5 4/ Z0 3/ Z 2 49 55 o o o dbtomwq Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES EUGENE P. FORRESTEL, OF BUFFALO, YORK BATCH BOX AND GRAPPLING MEANS THEREFOR Application filed April 4, 1929. Serial No. 352,529.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in batch boxes and the grappling means therefor, and has for an object to provide a batch box that is extremely efficient in design and rigid in construction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a. batch box having at its bottom partitions, or slope sheets, which not only assist in guiding the aggregates from the box, but also greatly assist in bracing the box, especially at the bottom, which ordinarily is a weak spot in batch boxes of the hinged bottom type.

Still another object of the invention is to 13 provide a batch box and a form of grappling means consisting of a bail or beam provided with a form of U-shaped clamp near its opposite ends, so that the batch box may be supported from these points when it is desired to open the box, which is accomplished by transferring the load from one cable to the other, as will be shortly explained.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, batch boxes are often used with concrete 95 pavers or concrete mixers, as these boxes may be filled at a desirable point, loaded on industrial cars or trucks and transported to the paver or mixer, where they are lifted by a crane and either dumped into the skip of 59 the paver and then poured into the mixing drum from the paver or the batch boxes are emptied in a hopper just above the mixing drum.

As is also well known, batch boxes are generally one of two types; either the dropbottom door type or the tip-over box type, and the present invention relates to the former type, as will be readily seen.

Still another object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a batch box of the drop-bottom type that will be capable of a quick emptying; will be exceedingly strong; and will be capable of being attached and detached in but a minimum length of time.

This application is a companion application of one executed and filed of even date herewith, provision being made in the companion case for also holding a certain amount of water in the batch box.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, showing a preferred embodiment and one slight modification of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved batch box and grappling means and showing a, fragmentary portion of a crane and concrete paver;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the box and grappling means, showing in dotted lines the doors in their open position;

3 is a side elevation showing in dotted lines the doors and their cooperating parts in their open position;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view taken on the line H of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the batch box showing the particularly strong construction of the doors;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of, Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a small fragmentaryperspective of (pne end of the bail and the gravity hook; an

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing a slight modification of the manner in which the shortening or lengthening of one cable (the dead cable) may be accomplished.

Referring now more particularly to the several views, and for the moment to Fig. 1, there is shown a fragmentary portion of an upright l of a paver, and it might be here mentioned that throughout the specification wherein the word paver is used, it might equally apply to a mixer or other similar machine with which this batch box and grappling means might be used.

Tiere will also be seen in this Fig. 1 the mast 2 to which ispivotally and swingingly mountedthe boom or crane 3, which is held threaded a cable 6 which extends down to the block 7. This cable 6 also passes over a pulley 8 at the inner end of the boom and, in turn, will be operated by a drum or winch (not shown) for thus raising and lowering the block 7.

The ripplinghmeans will now be described. First, there iss own a short link or connection 9 passing over a hook 10 on the block 7, and this small link or connection 9 is fastened to an eye 11, from which extends the main chains 12 which are each designed to extend over a small roller 13 mounted near the outer ends of the bail 14, which bail may be made up of the two channel irons 15, as maybe seen in Figs. .3 and 7.

There is also shown .a connection, which maybe a wire rope 1,6,extendingfrom .the eye 11 to an eye bolt 17. which latter, in turn, is fas ened centrally of the bail 14.

Also connected to the eye bolt 17 is what I term the dead cable 18, and its function will be explained shortly.

On the opposite ends of the bail, and near he respective rollers 13 are the two gravity hooks 19, and, as they are the same, ,a description of one will he .1- dcscription of the other.

Referring now to Fig. .7, there may be seen the two small bearing blocks 20 rivdedor bolted to the up flanges-of the beam sections. Passing un or these blocks 20 are the U shaped arms :21 .of the gravity books 19 having a small seat 22 at their ends. Also, there is a small guard 23 connecting these two arms 21 of the hook, making the hook in the form of an integral structure. The book is a gravity hook and is so designed that when in its normal position, it will hang, as shown in Fig, 2, to thus support the batch 110% 24. which will shortly be described in de- It will be noticed that the chains 12 will hang downwardly over the rollers 13 at the opposite ends of the bail and will respectively pass through the guard members 28 of the hooks, while the lower links 25 of the chains will pass under further books, which will also be referred to shortly.

Referring now to the batch box 24, it will be seen that it is rectangular in shape, preferably formed of steel, and comprises the from; and rear walls 26 and 27, and the side walls 28 and 29.

The upper edges may be reinforced by the top rail 30 and will extend slightly beyond the sides of the box, as may be seen in Fig. 2. so that the hooks 19 may drop under grab plates 30 and support the box when the load is transferred from the cable 6 to the cable 18. as will be shortly described.

The batch box 24 is provided with the bottom doors 31 and 32.,and a description ofone will be a description of the other.

As may be seen in the several views, there are the two angle irons 33 that are riveted to the front 26 of the box, while extending between the same is the rod 34, on the ends of which are hung the steel hangers 35.

Refcrrin for the moment to Fi s. 5 and 6.

there will be seen the further angle iron 36 extending across the hangers and an outer angle iron 37 secured to the outer ends of the hangers, thus forming the skeleton frame of the door.

Securely riveted it() these angle irons and hangers 35, that is to the skeleton frame, is the-bottom plate 38, which has the upturned flanges on three sides, thus completing the door.

As heretofore mentioned, the two bottom doors are alike and they form the bottom of the box.

It will also be noted that these doors do not abut at their inner edges but, on the other hand, there is a slight spaceleft between their inner adjacent edges. However, there is a partition or a compartment 39 of triangular shape formed at the bottom of the box, and the base .of-this partition is of such width that the inner adjacent edges of the doors abut and underlie the same, as maybe seen clearly from Fig. 6.

Referring now more specifically to this partition 39, it will be seen thatas the base or bottom 40 thereof overlies the outer adjacent e ree of the bottom plates of the doors, it forms a strong stop for the doors when in their closed position, and also laterally strengthens the box.

This partition or compartment, besides thc base, comprises the two sloping walls ll that form the apex-of the triangle, as at 4-2, and the lower edges of these walls are secured along the edges of the base 40.

There are also shown the angle irons l3, and these will be riveted to the side walls of the box and thus form the means for securing the side sheets and base in position.

It will be understood that although I have shown these partitions or compartment made of several parts or members, the same might easily be made of pressed steel or stampings and then riveted in position.

By forming this compartment in the bottom of the batch box, it will be seen that the same is strongly braced from side to side and that the sloping Walls will guide or assist in directing the aggregates towards the openings formed in the bottom of the box when the doors are opened. In other words, these sloping walls or slope sheets in reality form two hoppers in the bottom of the box for thus holding and guiding the aggregates in their egress from the box.

Now, there is a form of link mechanism for connecting the doors with the chains 12 and a short description of the same follows Referring for the moment to Fig. 3, there will be seen the two straps or arms 44 that are respectively pivotally connected at their lower ends to the bottom doors 31 and32 while their upper ends are pivotally connected to the hook 45 and fastened to the guide bar 46. There are two more of these arms 44 on the opposite side of the bucket with their hook 45 and these two hooks are respectively e11- gaged in the two end links of the chains 12 which, it will be remembered, are supported from the eye 11.

Furthermore,both sets of arms 44 on the box are respectively connected at their upper pivotal ends to the guide bar 46, which bar is held in position by the upper bracket 47 and a lower guide bracket 48.

To protect this link mechanism, when the batch boxes are being stacked on industrial cars and other places, there are provided the small angle irons 49 that project outwardly 1 slightly beyond the link mechanism, as may be seen in Fig. 2, to thus keep the same from being bent in case the boxes are packed up too tightly against each other when being transported.

By providing this form of link mechanism on the opposite sides of the boxes, the doors may be quickly opened and closed, as will be shortly explained.

Now, understanding the construction of the grappling means and the batch box, just a few words as to its operation.

Supposing the batch box is filled with the aggregates and the grappling means is attached, and it is desired to elevate and dump .1 the same, the cable 6 (see Fig. 1) will be tightened up and the load will be carried by the cable 6, through the block 7 through the link 9, and finally through the chains 12, which latter, it will be remembered, are connected to the hooks of the link mechanism, on the opposite ends of the doors.

The boom 3 will then be swung around until the batch box is over the hopper or skip (not shown). Then the cable 6 will be slackened 5 until the weight or load of the bucket is transferred to the dead cable 18, after which the bail 14 will support the load and the gravity hooks 19 from the bail will support the batch box.

The links tothe door being no longer held by the chains 12 will allow the doors to drop and the material will drop from the box. In dropping, it will be guided to the openings by the slope sheets 41.

Now, after the batch box has been emptied, the cable 6 will again be actuated until the slack is taken up and gradually the weight of the batch box will be transferred from the dead cable 18 to the cable 6, the chains 12, and through the link mechanism, and the doors will be again pulled to their closed po sition.

The crane may then be swung around and the batch box deposited on a flat car or a motor truck and the cable 6 will again be slackened, so that the links 25 of the chains 12 may be disconnected from the hooks and the hooks 19 will be swung outwardly and the batch box thereby wholly freed from the grappling means.

Now, to pick up another batch box, it is simply necessary to swing the grappling means over one and connect the ends of the chains 12 to the hooks 45 and the hooks will swing under the grab plates 30. The cable 6 will then be shortened, so that the slack will be taken out of the chains 12 and the doors will thus be held in their closed position.

In this form of batch box and grappling means, I have shown the dead cable 18 as being hooked to the outer end of the boom while there may be seen a movable clamp 18, so that the cable may be slightly adjusted, that is, made shorter or longer, as desired. However, it may be more convenientat times to have a more easily adjustable dead cable and I have shown a slight modification in Fig. 8.

Now, the only difference here is that instead of having the cable 6 booked at its upper end to the outer end of the boom, it is in this instance passed over a sheave 50 and then runs inwardly along the boom over the inner sheave 51 and then may be conveniently attached to a Windlass or other means for adjusting the length of this cable.

In other words, the height or point where the box is to be discharged may be regulated by a man on the paver, as the length of the cable 6 with relation to the length of the main cable will determine when the load is transferred from the live cable to the dead cable and the change is what allows the doors to swing open or to be held closed.

This in itself is well understood in the art and it is not thought that any further description is necessary.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a batch box and grappling means wherein the batch box is rigidly constructed and will assist the material in its egress from the box.

Furthermore, the grappling means including the bail and its gravity hooks with their guards thereon will prove efficient in service and permit of rapid connection with the batch box or, in a like manner, may permit of quick disengagement from the batch box.

In Fig. 2, I have shown the chains in both the full and dotted line positions, but it will be understood that when the batch box is resting, we will say, on an industrial car or truck, the bail would drop right down on. top of the box and the chains 12 would also drop down and lie on top of the box. Then the hooks 19 may be easily slipped from under the top rim of the batch box and the bail then moved to another batch box and the chains secured to the hooks of the links on the full batch box to be raised.

The present batch box and grapplin have proven exceedingly eiiicient in service, are capable of quick handling, and will with stand the hard usage to which they subjected.

I am aware that it is old to provide bottom door batch boxes and also old to provide two cables so that the load may be transferred from one to the other and I do not claim my invention broadly as such, but .t I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a batch box a grappling means therefor, comprising a bail having gravity hooks at its opposite ends for sup ortin'g the batch box, said batch b x having ottom doors, link mechanism at the sides of the box and connected with the doors, chains trained over the ends of the bail and adapted to be connected to the link mechanism, the upper ends of said chains adapted to be connected to a cable whereby the doors will be held closed, and a second cable adapted to be connected with the bail whereby when the load is transferred from the one cable to the other the doors may swing open.

2. In combination with a batch box a grappling means therefor comprising a bail, gravity hooks at the ends of the bail for holding the batch box to the bail, said batch box provided with bottom doors and link mechanism therefor, chains trained over the ends of the bail and adapted to be connected to said link mechanism and to a cable, fastening means on the bail adapted to be secured to a second cable whereby when the load is transferred to the bail the doors may swing open, the gravity hooks capable of being pulled from beneath the top rim of the batch box by the chains as the chains are disengaged from the link mechanism.

3. A batch box having drop-bottom doors, links connected with said doors, guide members for said links, brackets secured near the upper and lower edges of said box for receiving said guide bars, hooks pivotally secured to said guide bars and adapted to be engaged by grappling means and the pull on said hooks and guide bars being always in a vertical direction.

4. A batch box having drop-bottom doors, link mechanism connected with the opposite ends of the doors and said link mechanism adapted to be removably connected to a grappling means, a triangular-shaped compart ment extendin across said box and centrally located thereo the said compartment bracing the box, the base thereof forming a part of the bottom of the box and overlying the adjacent edges of the doors when the same are closed and the side walls of the box acting as slope sheets.

5. A batch box having drop-bottom doors,

link mechanism connected to the doors, the said link mechanism adapted to be removably secured to grappling means, a compartment dividing the box into hoppers and the base of the compartment forming av part of the bottom of the box and overlying the ad jacent edges of the doors when the doors are closed, a bail having chains adapted to be connected to the link mechanism, and gravity hooks on said bail for supporting the batch box during certain periods of time.

6. A batch box and grappling means therefor, comprising a bail, a ring, a connection between the bail and the ring, chains extending from the ring over said bail, gravity hooks on said bail, a batch box having dropbottom doors, link mechanism connected with said doors, and said link mechanism removably secured to said chains, said batch box having diverging walls centrally thereof and extending across the box and the outer edges of the doors extending beyond the respective walls when the doors are in their closed position.

7. A batch box and grappling means therefor comprising a bail made up of channel members, rollers near the outer ends of said bail and chains passing over said rollers and adapted to be fastened to an operating cable, fastening means in the form of an eye on the bail, means extending from said cable to said eye, said eyealso adapted to receive a second cable whereby a shortening of one of the cables will transfer the load from the chains to the bail, a batch box having drop-bottom doors, link mechanism connected. with said doors and adapted to be removably secured to said chains, and hooks 011 said bail to corn nect the bail to said batch box.

8. A batch box having drop-bottom doors, link mechanism connected with the doors, a compartment in the batch box forming a part of the bottom of the batch box, a grappling means comprising a bail, chains and gravity hooks at the opposite ends of the bail and adapted to fit under the said batch box, and the chains removably connected to the link mechanism.

9. A batch box having drop-bottom doors that extend partly across the bottom of the box, a compartment having a base and sloping walls extending across the box, the base forming the remainder of the bottom of the box, link mechanism for raising and lowering the doors, guide means for said link mechanism, and means extending slightly beyond the link mechanism for protecting the same from injury.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EUGENE P. FORRESTEL. 

